


Heaven is a place on Earth with you

by littlelooneyluna



Series: Robron Week 2018 [3]
Category: Emmerdale, robron
Genre: Anniversary, Family, Fluff, M/M, Robron Week 2018, Softness, daddy!Robron
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-28
Updated: 2018-03-28
Packaged: 2019-04-14 06:46:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,589
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14130405
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/littlelooneyluna/pseuds/littlelooneyluna
Summary: Day 4: Future/Later -Aaron and Robert celebrate their fifth wedding anniversary.





	Heaven is a place on Earth with you

**Author's Note:**

> enjoy! Xx

 

5 years.

Somehow saying it out loud doesn't make it seem as impressive as it actually is but Robert's going to keep banging on about it until the cows come home honestly.

He'll never tire of thinking about the fact that he's been married to Aaron for five whole years.

It's an anniversary they deserve, whatever that actually means. He feels like it's true deep down, like what he's saying actually makes sense because Aaron and him have _lasted_.

They keep lasting and it's not to do with how well they are at certain things, or _anything_ like that. It's more to do with the unwavering facts about things they cannot ever change.

Robert knows, with an absolutely unshakable certainty, that he loves Aaron. And Aaron loves him too.

They love _each other_ , and _that_ has stood the test of time it seems.

Robert's smug about it as he looks over at Aaron and sees him blinking quickly against the light of the sun streaming in through the window.

He's got a frown on his face and Robert drags a hand over Aaron's cheek just to feel him.

"Morning." Robert whispers, slivers his body closer to a more than willing to be held, Aaron.

Aaron's body is almost like jelly in his own and he marvels in the ease in which he gets to hold Aaron nowadays.

He's thinking back to when they were secret and Robert couldn't hold Aaron too tight because it would mean too much.

Or when Aaron was _sad_ and everything was heavy, and holding Aaron the way he wanted to would only cause him to recoil in a terrifying need for escapism.

Now though, Aaron wriggles closer and Robert kisses his head.

"Few more minutes." Aaron's asking, nothing but the need to stay like _this_ on his mind and Robert laughs a little against his plea.

"Just 'cause it's our anniversary doesn't mean we get to stay in _bed_ all day."

And Aaron makes a small sound, body wriggling. "Anniversary?" He teases, just wants to hear a reminder and Robert smiles against it. "And which one would that be exactly?"

Robert rolls his eyes, and suddenly he's pinning Aaron down, rolling him right out on his back and Aaron's in a soft sort of heaven.

"The one where we got to the signing the paper bit." Robert whispers, hands still holding Aaron down and hair floppy against his forehead.

He looks about twenty five again and Aaron loves him.

Aaron shuts his eyes, and for a second he's standing there and Robert is saying all these _things_ that are making him _blubber_ and the sun is shining down on them.

"Oh yeah." He whispers gently, able to wriggle a hand out and hold Robert's face. "I was younger then." He reflects, softness about him suddenly.

And Robert smirks, "We _both_ were." He reasons, pokes out at Aaron. "Oi, at least you're not battling grey hairs." He says.

And Aaron only rolls his eyes because he's heard this about a million times since last week.

When Robert had been staring at himself in the mirror for _so_ long it almost felt like he was _looking_ for one.

And he'd found it, the _one_.

"One grey hair doesn't mean anything." Aaron strokes at Robert's arm, keeps stroking and Robert is too in his own head to listen to his husband and what he has to say.

"You still fancy me?" Robert asks then, cock an eyebrow and _yes_ he will do this, he will make Aaron give him a compliment.

Aaron bites down on his lip a few times and then he's rolling his eyes. "Suppose." He whispers, and it's enough for Robert.

He dives his head down and steals a kiss before the door is being flung open and Jacob is running towards them.

His little legs are faster than they look and Aaron only has time to pull the covers over him and Robert before he's bouncing on the bed.

Robert tells him to calm down but it's always pointless. Jacob is three years old and has trouble accepting exactly what 'No' means. He's also almost too kind for his own good, protective and yet nearly as cheeky as Aaron was at his age.

Chas always says so, she's quick to point out that Jacob is going to grow up to be this brilliant boy.

Diane also bangs on about the fact that he's going to break a fair few hearts, and that's _Robert_ all over.

But they're biased so.

"Ahh." Aaron groans against the feel of Jacob over his face and for a second Robert just stares at him with absolute adoration in his eyes.

Because Jacob's this unruly little thing but he's also got a heart nearly as big as Aaron's and he's still at that age where he likes being around them.

"Careful Jakey." Robert eases Jacob away and then suddenly there's crying from outside the door.

Aaron sits up instantly, "Annie." He says, moves to get out of the bed and Jacob's bouncing up and down just at the mention of his little sister.

What he doesn't expect to see is Seb coming through the door with Annie in his arms.

He keeps doing this, thinking he's so much older than his siblings and has this ability to just carry them about.

" _Seb_." Robert lunges forwards, eyes wide and filled with worry as he watches the little boy with his soft eyes and an adorably freckled face.

"Annie was crying." He says, and Robert's surprised he can actually hold Annie in his little arms, bend into her cot and get her out but he has and they've got to watch out for that from now on.

"I know buddy." Robert takes Annie in his arms and she settles with him, she's filling out quickly, soft blonde hair coming through nicely now. He rocks her until she stops crying and Aaron feels something get caught in his throat at the sight of Robert with their little girl, shirtless and soft and -

 _His_.

He almost gets caught up in it, and then he looks at the time and -

The school run's started.

 

~*~

 

"Book, bag, shoes."

It's sort of a mantra in the house at ten past eight.

Jacob's decided to put his jumper on backwards and runs around the living room as Seb waits by the door with his arms crossed.

Robert laughs against how impatient Seb gets because his mad little brother who is too silly to be as mischievous as he is.

They both have their kindness though.

That trickles through them both and Robert's unquestionably proud of that.

Robert puts his shoes on, drags his coat over his suit and watches Aaron do the same by the door before he's opening it and watching Jacob try to run towards the car.

"Wait for your brother!" Aaron calls out, and Seb is the moodiest little man in the world sometimes. He rolls his head back, cheekily sighs and then he's stalking towards the car with Jacob squeezing at his hand.

"See you later then?" Aaron says, goes to leave and then suddenly Robert is pulling him back and kissing him breathlessly.

"Love you." Robert whispers, stares at the way Aaron's holding Annie in her car seat and feels his heart clench.

"Love you." Aaron whispers back, eyes bright suddenly and then he's leaving and Robert waves goodbye to them as he gets into his own car and heads for work.

 

~*~

 

Robert's phone buzzes against the desk and when he looks down he sees that Aaron's asking him to come for a drink in the pub when he's finished for the day.

It's not like he was expecting anything _much_ but a drink in their local on their wedding anniversary is almost _less_ than what he imagined.

He supposes that Aaron's going to make it up to him later.

He imagines the kids round their nanna's and Aaron's full attention on _him_ , and smiles against it all the way until he's driving towards the pub and then opening the door and -

He hears enough shuffling to know something is up but he doesn't expect his entire family standing in the pub with massive smiles on their faces staring at him.

He sees Aaron instantly amongst the crowd so nothing changes there then, navy suit on and everything. He's got Annie in his arms and Seb's hanging by his side and -

He _can_ hear Jacob making helicopter noises but can't spot him amongst the crowd.

"What's all -"

Only Seb jumps forward. "Daddy made a surprise for you." He's saying proudly, showing teeth, looking absolutely grateful that he's allowed to say it after days of keeping quiet.

Robert's eyes flicker, something warm spreads across him and he smiles. "Did he?" He says, hugs at his little boy and then suddenly sees Victoria smiling at him from the bar.

She's always smiling nowadays, sitting on the right side of the bar knowing full well that her business is booming.

He feels something get caught up in his this throat and then Aaron comes forward a little.

"You look surprised Mr Dingle?" Aaron whispers, holds Annie on his side like a pro and smirks at Robert's complete shock. "You didn't think I wouldn't make a sing and dance about _five_ years?"

And he's joking, because Robert is the over the top one but apparently Aaron can be too.

"You're amazing." Robert leans into kiss Aaron blushes under the way it feels to kiss him like this; so openly and without care.

He pulls away and Aaron's smile grows wider. "Turn around." He whispers, and when Robert _does_ -

Liv's there.

She's actually just standing there with a backpack on and a smile on her face and he hasn't seen her for so long it hurts.

She's off travelling for the year, deciding what she wants out of life and Robert cannot get over how brave she is, how proud _he_ is because she's dared to do everything he couldn't when he was her age.

Liv stuck two fingers up at the conventional ways she should be living her life and Robert and Aaron admire her too much to ever attempt to say.

She waves her hand out and is suddenly so red and emotional that she just dives into Robert's arms and he holds her against him.

Everyone around them lets out this round of oohs and ahhs against how soft they're being and when Robert pulls away she's still smiling.

"Since when were you back?" He's asking, holding her by the shoulders and she's already gotten taller since the last time he was this _close_.

Liv goes to speak and then is suddenly attacked by Seb and Jacob and even Annie starts to wave her little arms around.

She's the cool auntie.

And Vic's the one who shoves cake down their throats whenever she has the chance.

"Liv, look at my hair!" Jacob's shouting, bouncing himself and pulling at his curly locks which have grown even more since Liv left.

She's overwhelmed, that's clear to see and but she's so great with them that Robert just watches and waits for her to look up at him again.

When she does, Seb's hanging over her shoulders and Jacob's clinging to her side.

"Aaron told me he was planning something." Liv smiles, "When I got over the _shock_ , I put myself out on the first flight out."

Robert's hands fall over her hair and he kisses her head before she's being absorbed into the crowd with the kids and Aaron's holding at Robert's hand.

"You look happy." Aaron says, a soft sense of relief racing through him as he looks at him.

Robert looks towards Chas and Paddy by the bar and Chas winks at him, gives her approval, and even Charity and Vanessa are domesticated enough to both smile at him at the same time and -

It's been five whole years and he's _still_ this happy.

"I am." He says, squeezes Aaron's hand even tighter.

 

~*~

 

Seb knows what a wedding is, he's been to a fair few in the village by now but Jacob's literally bouncing on Robert's knee and demanding to go to theirs.

"Mate, we already had one." Robert tells him, attempts to stroke through Jacob's hair as they sit in a booth.

"Two." Liv reasons, bounces Annie a little in her arms.

" _Two_?" Jacob's mouth flys open and Seb's managed to climb away and follow his Uncle Cain around.

"Yep." Aaron tells him, leans his head against Robert's and then holds his hand under the table. "You weren't even born then." He mumbles and sometimes it feels like a whole other life, and then he tests himself and thinks back to when they were an _affair_ and that's even further away in his memory.

Jacob's unimpressed, and he's only three but apparently he demands to know when they 'fell into love'

And Robert's suddenly blaming Aaron for all this talk because he's fully away his husband lets Jacob just sit there watching Loose Women some days.

He's all romantic about things and Robert clears his throat against his question.

"When I first kissed your daddy." Aaron's saying before him, sips at the champagne in the glass and then smiles as he thinks back to that sudden _feeling_ that flowed through him when it happened. A complete and overwhelming hopelessness.

Robert's eyes widen like he doesn't know what to say and Liv is rolling her eyes against the _mush_.

Jacob holds his chest and gaps, demands they kiss again and after they do, Robert turns to jelly.

"I first loved daddy fluffy, when it was Christmas Day, and he followed me outside and made me feel better."

And that is a statement, one Aaron's never ever heard before.

They don't discuss stuff like this, not ever really but now he's hearing that Robert felt feelings so strong just like Aaron did.

He's always had an inkling but -

Jacob gets bored of course, runs up to Seb and tries to impress his big brother and Liv's left holding the baby as Robert drags Aaron into the back room like they're naughty teenagers.

"Christmas Day?" Aaron's panting, hands flying towards Robert's hair and this is madness because the whole village know how domestically in love they are, with their children and their cars and their nice home, but this, the thrill of sneaking around is probably always going to be there.

It started off like this, just the two of them, secret, painfully so at times, but also so quietly _theirs_ and sometimes all of _that_ is welcomed again.

This is one of those times.

Robert's shy against it as he leans towards Aaron and picks off a piece of fluff on his navy suit. They're awkwardly sitting on the stairs and Aaron is so in love with Robert Sugden it feels like his heart is going to burst.

"Didn't know it myself then but, whatever I felt wasn't going to go away was it?" Robert whispers against Aaron's neck, "Not ever." He mumbles.

And it's only been five years, someone reminded them the other day.

Nicola.

Robert expected Aaron to agree but he was the first to put her in her place.

{ _"Yeah and in those five years we've kept a business booming, Seb happy, had Jacob and then Annie too and managed to still love each other." Aaron's so quick off the bat that Nicola doesn't even say anything._

_Robert feels everything tingle through him and he's in awe of Aaron for a few seconds before he smirks. "And a very healthy sex life. Shame the same can't be said for -"_

_And Robert earns a slap on the arm as Nicola walks away from them and Annie starts gurgling from her pram._ }

Aaron leans in to kiss him and suddenly Charity's heels are against the floor and they break apart.

She seems impressed almost though.

"Some things never change then." She says, shakes her head and Robert smirks against it.

No, some things _never_ change.

 

~*~

 

It's later.

And Aaron's whisked them away to some fancy place and Robert's pretty sure that he doesn't know how to pronounce half the starters.

But marriage is all about compromise isn't it?

So Aaron will settle with embarrassing himself in front of a French waiter, knowing that Robert will do more than make it up for it later.

Robert leans his hand out across the table, and Aaron grabs ahold of it.

"Should I order for you?" Robert asks, teasing just a little but with a hint of something more in his voice.

It's this tentative protectiveness and Aaron blushes out a nod.

"Happy anniversary." Aaron says, almost knows that he will never get over the fact that he's sitting here, right across from Robert Sugden, _toasting_ to their fifth wedding anniversary.

The thought shocks something so deep within him that his hands shake as he clinks the glass with Robert's.

"Reckon we could skip dessert if we wanted to." Robert says, watches Aaron nearly choke into his champagne flute and turn red because he's not mastered the art of reacting appropriately to Robert's flirting in public.

He just keeps his head down and Robert strokes his hand even more softly. "Could go home, have dessert there."

And Aaron gulps _hard_ , feels Robert stroke up and down his leg and his whole body turns to _jelly_.

"You do have to thank me for the surprise party." Aaron whispers and _yep_ , they still want to absolutely rip each other's clothes off.

And they _do_.

They hardly make it through the front door as it happens because Aaron's got a suit on and it's _navy_.

They're both drunk on champagne by the time they're hanging off the bed and laughing their heads off.

"Oh that was amazing." Robert groans out, knows that the second round and _that_ position has completely done his back in but he's so numbingly content right now that he doesn't even seem to care all that much.

Aaron smirks, and he's always more with it after sex, always the one kissing Robert's back and stroking his hair.

He's laughing now, naked, sheets covering his waist and eyes warm. "Worth the wait then?" Aaron's asking, only Robert smiles.

"Of course." Robert says, and his legs suddenly become tangled in Aaron's as he pulls their hands together and smiles.

All he can see is a ring and another ring and everything is just so beautiful like this.

Robert catches his breath just a little.

"I'm the luckiest man in the world." Robert mumbles, kisses Aaron's bare shoulder and pulls the covers up over himself. "To have you. For you to be my -"

"Husband." Aaron fills in for him, eyes watering almost so suddenly that Robert frowns.

"I didn't think you'd get like this." He's surprised, in a soft almost happy way because sometimes the love he feels for Aaron is so mad, no one else can know how this feels.

Aaron ducks his head, settles himself down onto the mounds of pillows and looks at his husband. "You know when I came out to Paddy, he banged on about me meeting someone one day and - and I didn't believe a word of it. I told Vic that I would _never_ get married because I _knew_ it wouldn't work out for me." He says, and Robert holds his hand. "And then you were asking _me_ to marry you. _Me_."

Some things are just the hardest to get your head around, despite how much time passes.

Robert decorating their old barn and planning on getting down on one knee and proposing to him in the same place he countlessly denied whatever they _felt_ for each other years ago, is one of those things.

Robert smiles faintly and hugs Aaron tighter. " _You_." He emphasis, "No one else I'd rather spend the rest of my life with." He promises and Aaron's so heavy under it all.

"I still love you as much as I did then you know?" Robert tells him, smiles as he looks at the picture on the side of his cabinet.

Aaron's got his arm around him, and Liv is holding Seb and they're all smiling like mad.

Aaron doesn't say anything for a second and then he smiles. "Think I love you more." He says, in the most unromantic, matter of fact way ever and Robert is used to Aaron being so certain in his life like this.

It's so crushingly endearing that he almost cries.

"That hasn't changed has it?" Robert says. "I thought it would, with Seb, and then Jacob, and then Annie." He can't quite believe how much _has_ changed. "But loving _you_ , being proud of what we have, hasn't changed at all."

And he supposes it never will.

Aaron's got a smile on his face as he blushes against Robert's words and wraps his arms around his husband.

"Never will." He mumbles out, hand flat against Robert's chest. "It's been five whole years Rob." Aaron smiles, and then he's laughing. "Twenty fifth of July. We went and got -"

"Married in our garden." Robert's laughing suddenly, and Aaron's not going to let him try and downplay how epic the day was.

How _perfect_ everything felt.

"Five years later, Seb's this brilliant little boy." Aaron mumbles, "Jacob's here, being as loud and cheeky as we expected him to be, and we have a little girl too." He can't quite believe it, his voice seems to waver and Robert catches a tear.

"And we got through everything didn't we?"

And there was a lot to get through.

And things were hard, _are_ hard, because Liv's not allowed to drink anymore, for her own good and that's terrifyingly sad but she's also living such an amazing life and they're so proud of her.

And surrogacy is a bitch, constantly disappoints and makes things so _hard_.

But they got their wish, twice over.

"I wouldn't have changed a thing." Robert combs Aaron's hair as the younger man speaks to him. "These five years have been the best years of my whole life." And he's a sap suddenly, a sexy beefy sap of a man.

"Not anything?" Robert asks, and he can think of a few.

Namely the shouting and the screaming and the passionate fights about these deep unwavering facts that are sometimes hard to bare.

He thinks of the fact that none of it was easy, the complicated practical parts and not the raw emotional bits.

Anyone could see they loved each other.

Aaron closes his eyes and thinks of the fights, and then how they managed to help them in so many ways.

"No." He says confidently, buries his head in Robert's chest and smiles. "Not a thing you idiot. It's - it's all been worth _this_." He tells him. "You and me and - and our kids only a few rooms away from us."

Robert nods against his words. "It's mad, that we're like this - so happy? Everything used to be so - unhappy. Do you remember?"

And Aaron _does_.

He's just moved so far on from all of _that_.

"Yeah. But I also remember our wedding day." Aaron's eyes flicker. "Both of 'em."

And not many people can actually say that can they?

"Never thought that - that you'd want me like this, want a _family_ with your bit on the side." Aaron knows he's drunk, knows he's spilling things out that he wouldn't usually.

Robert frowns against how terrible that sounds and how much of an absolute idiot he was back then. "You're the love of my life." He shrugs, and maybe he's drunk too. "Nothing else _really_ matters does it?" He mumbles.

Aaron seems enamoured by the thought and slowly works his body closer towards Robert. Moving his hips back and forth his body in this lazy attempt at being sexy and then he's laughing a little.

Robert catches Aaron's face in his hands and smiles. "I got to make you _this_ happy." He's completely blown away by how much that means to him and Aaron kisses Robert's hand slowly.

"For the rest of our lives." Aaron mumbles. "Just _you_."

And the thought would have scared the living daylights out of Robert ten years ago.

He would have never dreamt of being with someone _forever_ and that being enough.

But Aaron is more than enough, he's home, he's like this intangible piece of thread able to hold him up against anything.

"Just _you_." He mumbles back, kisses Aaron with a little more heat this time and it's not like he has it in him to go again but just laying naked on their bed kissing works just fine for him.

That is until Aaron leans too far back and they're both falling _off_ the bed.

Robert lands on his elbow and Aaron promises to massage it, through a fit of laughter.

"Let me see if we have any oils or -" Aaron's talking shit as he tries to fumble through the draws and then he's pulling out an envelope and Robert's face drops.

"You shouldn't have looked in there." Robert tells him, too drunk to react quick enough and Aaron's eyes widen as he looks all close up to the words.

"Confirmation tickets to -"

"Barcelona."

And it's this ridiculous call back to the fact that almost every year they plan on going, just the two of them, for a few days, _away_ from everything.

And it always never works out.

Aaron pounces on Robert, kisses sweet and filled with this oozing love and when he's finished, he collapses onto Robert and kisses at his chest.

Aaron's the most affectionate sort of drunk in the world and Robert watches him marvel at the freckles on his body.

"I love you so much."

And the way Aaron says it is filled with so much _else_ that Robert's eyes nearly fill with tears.

"I love you too." Robert kisses his head and Aaron looks up at him.

"Not just _love_ , I mean - I'm _still_ just _in_ love with you Robert." Aaron's eyes are warm suddenly. "So in love and I don't tell you enough."

Robert doesn't believe that for a second, they tell each other every day. He tries telling Aaron that but he shakes his head.

"I don't say - say that I still am so - so _in_ love with you." Aaron mumbles. "Or that - that you're so _fit_ still."

Robert looks away at that and Aaron holds his face. "You're fucking beautiful."

And that's the one thing Aaron hates about the time passing.

Robert's somehow lost a little confidence in his looks and Aaron knows it's his job to remind him of how amazing he is.

As often as he can.

"So are you." Robert kisses him, feels like he could just fall asleep like this and they're both drunk and sticky and the room is a mess but -

Robert grabs Aaron's hand and puts it in his own and something so magically fits.

"Happy anniversary." Robert whispers and Aaron says it back.

"To the next - next five - no, no - _fifty_ years." Aaron raises an empty glass he finds laying precariously against the bed side drawers.

He clinks it with Robert's invisible one and falls back down onto Robert's chest.

The soft beat of Robert's content heart is enough to drag him into a soft sleep.

They both dream of this day, _fifty_ years from now.

They're still holding each other's hands under tables and ending the night like _this_.

 

 


End file.
